Larry Fitzgerald’s Dad Says He’ll Play for Cardinals or Nowhere in 2018

That’s the sentiment from his father, at least, as the Cardinals star wide receiver ponders whether he’ll return for another NFL season. Larry Fitzgerald Sr. says his son has no interest in playing for another team as his Hall of Fame career begins to wind down.

“If it’s not with the Cardinals, we’ve seen the last of Larry Fitzgerald in the National Football League wearing No. 11.”

Whether Fitzgerald will sport that jersey in Arizona for a 15th season remains unknown.

“Larry talked to me about what he should do,” Fitzgerald Sr. said. “I told him, ‘If you still love the game and are passionate about it and with the way you’re playing, it shows me you still have it. You still want to win.’

“He really wants to get a championship ring, there’s no doubt about that. But now they’ve got a new situation there.’’

Fitzgerald Sr. is referring to two major Cardinals changes: The retirements of head coach Bruce Arians and quarterback Carson Palmer. Fitzgerald has no previous history working with new head coach Steve Wilks, and there’s no clear successor for Palmer under center.

“They’re looking for a quarterback,” Fitzgerald Sr. said. “The guy I thought they should try and go after, Alex Smith, he’s in Washington now (pending a March trade with Kansas City). But there’s still a lot of really good quarterbacks out there. It’s probably going to be the strongest free agency for QBs we’ve had in a long time.

“I hope they get the right guy.”

Besides his quest for a first Super Bowl title, Fitzgerald has other reasons to return for at least one more season. He is set to earn $11 million in 2018 as part of a one-year contract extension he signed last November.

Fitzgerald, who turns 35 in August, also would have the chance to continue climbing the charts among the most prolific wide receivers in NFL history. Fitzgerald, who has caught 1,234 passes for 15,545 yards over his career, needs only 92 catches and 390 receiving yards to pass Tony Gonzalez and Terrell Owens for second all-time on the league’s receptions and receiving yards list, respectively.